FCPS closed Monday

[Anonymous]

I feel like these “extra” should they open or close days, each and every snowstorm, comes down to bus stops and VDOT.

Can we not, after all this time and year after year, figure out some creative solutions so we can get back to school?

- Staggered drop off times (e.g. A-F 8-8:15, G-L 8:20-8:35, etc etc) for walkers to mitigate (as best as possible) the sure to backed up kiss and ride lines since there’s always the sidewalks that never do get shoveled.

- Something simple like a flag/pole that can be stuck in the ground at a FCPS bus stop so the plows know to not push piles of snow up for an x foot distance, etc. Someone at the bus stop could elect to be the keeper/planter of the flag in the event of expected weather.

I mean these aren’t crazy ideas. Might take some trial and error, but it might provide a solution so it’s not all or nothing. I feel like this happens at least once a school year post major snowstorm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who is responsible for sidewalks?

DH thinks it is VDOT. Is it FCPS? Homeowners?

We don’t have a sidewalk in front of our house.

Property owners are encouraged to shovel. They’re not required to in Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is responsible for sidewalks?

DH thinks it is VDOT. Is it FCPS? Homeowners?

We don’t have a sidewalk in front of our house.

Property owners are encouraged to shovel. They’re not required to in Fairfax.

Moving forward they should be required by law to shovel their driveway and sidewalk. Many states have this law in place and I don’t see why Virginia doesn’t. This is one of the main reasons that has caused a delay in school openings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like these “extra” should they open or close days, each and every snowstorm, comes down to bus stops and VDOT.

Can we not, after all this time and year after year, figure out some creative solutions so we can get back to school?

- Staggered drop off times (e.g. A-F 8-8:15, G-L 8:20-8:35, etc etc) for walkers to mitigate (as best as possible) the sure to backed up kiss and ride lines since there’s always the sidewalks that never do get shoveled.

- Something simple like a flag/pole that can be stuck in the ground at a FCPS bus stop so the plows know to not push piles of snow up for an x foot distance, etc. Someone at the bus stop could elect to be the keeper/planter of the flag in the event of expected weather.

I mean these aren’t crazy ideas. Might take some trial and error, but it might provide a solution so it’s not all or nothing. I feel like this happens at least once a school year post major snowstorm.

Sorry if someone has already said this: but doesn't FCPS have snow routes? i.e. instead of bus routes going through every neighborhood and having to ensure 45k bus stops are all cleared - have snow bus stops which are at the edges of neighborhoods near major/standard roads - which are typically cleared faster and definitely are clear now. Parents can be responsible for getting their kids to edge of neighborhood or elect to keep them at home.

Does FCPS not consider alternative solutions to anything? It's all extreme or nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is responsible for sidewalks?

DH thinks it is VDOT. Is it FCPS? Homeowners?

We don’t have a sidewalk in front of our house.

Property owners are encouraged to shovel. They’re not required to in Fairfax.

Moving forward they should be required by law to shovel their driveway and sidewalk. Many states have this law in place and I don’t see why Virginia doesn’t. This is one of the main reasons that has caused a delay in school openings.

It's locality-specific. Some places in VA do require it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is responsible for sidewalks?

DH thinks it is VDOT. Is it FCPS? Homeowners?

We don’t have a sidewalk in front of our house.

Property owners are encouraged to shovel. They’re not required to in Fairfax.

Moving forward they should be required by law to shovel their driveway and sidewalk. Many states have this law in place and I don’t see why Virginia doesn’t. This is one of the main reasons that has caused a delay in school openings.

Good luck with that. AARP and other seniors groups will fight that hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like these “extra” should they open or close days, each and every snowstorm, comes down to bus stops and VDOT.

Can we not, after all this time and year after year, figure out some creative solutions so we can get back to school?

- Staggered drop off times (e.g. A-F 8-8:15, G-L 8:20-8:35, etc etc) for walkers to mitigate (as best as possible) the sure to be backed up kiss and ride lines since there’s always the sidewalks that never do get shoveled.

- Something simple like a flag/pole that can be stuck in the ground at a FCPS bus stop so the plows know to not push piles of snow up for an x foot distance, etc. Someone at the bus stop could elect to be the keeper/planter of the flag in the event of expected weather.

I mean these aren’t crazy ideas. Might take some trial and error, but it might provide a solution so it’s not all or nothing. I feel like this happens at least once a school year post major snowstorm.

Sorry if someone has already said this: but doesn't FCPS have snow routes? i.e. instead of bus routes going through every neighborhood and having to ensure 45k bus stops are all cleared - have snow bus stops which are at the edges of neighborhoods near major/standard roads - which are typically cleared faster and definitely are clear now. Parents can be responsible for getting their kids to edge of neighborhood or elect to keep them at home.

Does FCPS not consider alternative solutions to anything? It's all extreme or nothing.

I'm the PP - I felt like they used to have consolidated routes, but now I can't find anything on the website. This could be easily implemented, though.

The major/standard roads near me are actually worse than the interior streets, I think. Each driveway has a 4-5 foot ice sculpture on either side of its driveway, and the curbs/intersections are plowed up even higher. My son's MS bus stop is at the intersection of a main road that leads directly to the school and he would stand on at least 6 feet of ice if he were standing at the stop.

There just has to be a better way to get us back to school and get back into a routine. Year after year it's "we don't have the equipment, we don't have the resources, this is unprecedented, etc etc" yet if we had done something 10 years ago we might have a better plan by now. We've been through so many superintendents and changes in leadership, yet this is always a constant....we can't seem to recover from these storms and get back to class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m very surprised. And there is a lot of anger!

You seriously cannot be surprised by the anger. No matter what was decided for Monday, people were going to rage. This was a no-win situation for any local superintendent.

Ms. Reid,

I am writing to formally state my anger and frustration over the continued failure of FCPS to provide education during recent snow closures. This situation is unacceptable and reflects a serious lack of planning and leadership.

FCPS previously implemented online learning successfully under Dr. Brabrand. The infrastructure already exists. There is no reasonable explanation for why instruction completely stops now whenever there is snow on the ground. Closing schools without offering online learning is a choice — not a necessity — and it is harming students.

The majority of families and teachers want schools open. Most students want to be in class. Decisions should not be driven by a small minority who dislike school or are unwilling to work during weather events. Other districts manage this. FCPS should be capable of doing the same.

My second grader has already begun forgetting basic skills, including telling time and spelling, after nearly two weeks of missed instruction. That is not a weather issue — that is a leadership failure. Children are losing learning time that cannot simply be “made up.”

Seven inches of snow does not justify prolonged closures. FCPS remained open longer during the 2010 storms when snowfall totals were significantly higher. The current response is excessive and indefensible.

If schools cannot safely reopen in person, then online instruction must immediately resume. Continuing to provide no education at all is not acceptable. If you believe FCPS is incapable of operating either in person or online under these conditions, then you should step aside for leadership that can.

Parents expect solutions, not excuses. Our children deserve better than this.

— A Frustrated FCPS Parent

The funniest part about this (aside from equating 3.5 days to 2 weeks) is that the skills this child is apparently losing could easily be practiced with parents in the amount of time it took them to write this and post it here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is responsible for sidewalks?

DH thinks it is VDOT. Is it FCPS? Homeowners?

We don’t have a sidewalk in front of our house.

Property owners are encouraged to shovel. They’re not required to in Fairfax.

Moving forward they should be required by law to shovel their driveway and sidewalk. Many states have this law in place and I don’t see why Virginia doesn’t. This is one of the main reasons that has caused a delay in school openings.

It's locality-specific. Some places in VA do require it.

Arlington requires it. The county openly states they don’t enforce it. It doesn’t help at all. We’re supposed to feel bad for all the people who can’t clear their sidewalks or find someone to do it for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like these “extra” should they open or close days, each and every snowstorm, comes down to bus stops and VDOT.

Can we not, after all this time and year after year, figure out some creative solutions so we can get back to school?

- Staggered drop off times (e.g. A-F 8-8:15, G-L 8:20-8:35, etc etc) for walkers to mitigate (as best as possible) the sure to backed up kiss and ride lines since there’s always the sidewalks that never do get shoveled.

- Something simple like a flag/pole that can be stuck in the ground at a FCPS bus stop so the plows know to not push piles of snow up for an x foot distance, etc. Someone at the bus stop could elect to be the keeper/planter of the flag in the event of expected weather.

I mean these aren’t crazy ideas. Might take some trial and error, but it might provide a solution so it’s not all or nothing. I feel like this happens at least once a school year post major snowstorm.

Those are great suggestions. Send multiple letters to FCPS and VDOT. Hit different people in relevant departments. They seem to lack innovative and creative problem-solvers on their staff!

[Anonymous]

It hasn’t snowed for 8 days. This is on VDOT, FCPS and everyone else in charge in this county for being grossly incompetent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:THIS BETTER BE THE LAST SNOW DAY FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. IF IT HAPPENS DOING THE SCHOOL YEAR, SCHOOLS BETTER BE OPEN. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH I AM SICK AND TIRED OF KIDS NOT GOING TO SCHOOL.
I HAVE 6 KIDS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Troll

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m very surprised. And there is a lot of anger!

You seriously cannot be surprised by the anger. No matter what was decided for Monday, people were going to rage. This was a no-win situation for any local superintendent.

Ms. Reid,

I am writing to formally state my anger and frustration over the continued failure of FCPS to provide education during recent snow closures. This situation is unacceptable and reflects a serious lack of planning and leadership.

FCPS previously implemented online learning successfully under Dr. Brabrand. The infrastructure already exists. There is no reasonable explanation for why instruction completely stops now whenever there is snow on the ground. Closing schools without offering online learning is a choice — not a necessity — and it is harming students.

The majority of families and teachers want schools open. Most students want to be in class. Decisions should not be driven by a small minority who dislike school or are unwilling to work during weather events. Other districts manage this. FCPS should be capable of doing the same.

My second grader has already begun forgetting basic skills, including telling time and spelling, after nearly two weeks of missed instruction. That is not a weather issue — that is a leadership failure. Children are losing learning time that cannot simply be “made up.”

Seven inches of snow does not justify prolonged closures. FCPS remained open longer during the 2010 storms when snowfall totals were significantly higher. The current response is excessive and indefensible.

If schools cannot safely reopen in person, then online instruction must immediately resume. Continuing to provide no education at all is not acceptable. If you believe FCPS is incapable of operating either in person or online under these conditions, then you should step aside for leadership that can.

Parents expect solutions, not excuses. Our children deserve better than this.

— A Frustrated FCPS Parent

The funniest part about this (aside from equating 3.5 days to 2 weeks) is that the skills this child is apparently losing could easily be practiced with parents in the amount of time it took them to write this and post it here.

They probably are working with their kid now. That's how they know their kid has gotten worse at telling time and spelling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m very surprised. And there is a lot of anger!

You seriously cannot be surprised by the anger. No matter what was decided for Monday, people were going to rage. This was a no-win situation for any local superintendent.

Ms. Reid,

I am writing to formally state my anger and frustration over the continued failure of FCPS to provide education during recent snow closures. This situation is unacceptable and reflects a serious lack of planning and leadership.

FCPS previously implemented online learning successfully under Dr. Brabrand. The infrastructure already exists. There is no reasonable explanation for why instruction completely stops now whenever there is snow on the ground. Closing schools without offering online learning is a choice — not a necessity — and it is harming students.

The majority of families and teachers want schools open. Most students want to be in class. Decisions should not be driven by a small minority who dislike school or are unwilling to work during weather events. Other districts manage this. FCPS should be capable of doing the same.

My second grader has already begun forgetting basic skills, including telling time and spelling, after nearly two weeks of missed instruction. That is not a weather issue — that is a leadership failure. Children are losing learning time that cannot simply be “made up.”

Seven inches of snow does not justify prolonged closures. FCPS remained open longer during the 2010 storms when snowfall totals were significantly higher. The current response is excessive and indefensible.

If schools cannot safely reopen in person, then online instruction must immediately resume. Continuing to provide no education at all is not acceptable. If you believe FCPS is incapable of operating either in person or online under these conditions, then you should step aside for leadership that can.

Parents expect solutions, not excuses. Our children deserve better than this.

— A Frustrated FCPS Parent

If you are going to do online instruction you have to prep the teachers and students ahead of time. For one thing, all students would need to take home their FCPS issued devices. What are the expectations for asynchronous vs synchronous instruction?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m very surprised. And there is a lot of anger!

You seriously cannot be surprised by the anger. No matter what was decided for Monday, people were going to rage. This was a no-win situation for any local superintendent.

Ms. Reid,

I am writing to formally state my anger and frustration over the continued failure of FCPS to provide education during recent snow closures. This situation is unacceptable and reflects a serious lack of planning and leadership.

FCPS previously implemented online learning successfully under Dr. Brabrand. The infrastructure already exists. There is no reasonable explanation for why instruction completely stops now whenever there is snow on the ground. Closing schools without offering online learning is a choice — not a necessity — and it is harming students.

The majority of families and teachers want schools open. Most students want to be in class. Decisions should not be driven by a small minority who dislike school or are unwilling to work during weather events. Other districts manage this. FCPS should be capable of doing the same.

My second grader has already begun forgetting basic skills, including telling time and spelling, after nearly two weeks of missed instruction. That is not a weather issue — that is a leadership failure. Children are losing learning time that cannot simply be “made up.”

Seven inches of snow does not justify prolonged closures. FCPS remained open longer during the 2010 storms when snowfall totals were significantly higher. The current response is excessive and indefensible.

If schools cannot safely reopen in person, then online instruction must immediately resume. Continuing to provide no education at all is not acceptable. If you believe FCPS is incapable of operating either in person or online under these conditions, then you should step aside for leadership that can.

Parents expect solutions, not excuses. Our children deserve better than this.

— A Frustrated FCPS Parent

The funniest part about this (aside from equating 3.5 days to 2 weeks) is that the skills this child is apparently losing could easily be practiced with parents in the amount of time it took them to write this and post it here.

They probably are working with their kid now. That's how they know their kid has gotten worse at telling time and spelling.

How much spelling did a child really know in the first place?

My kid didn’t miss school in second grade last year and she didn’t get the time telling. It is from last of use. She is now in third grade and probably isn’t so great at clocks because we don’t have any real clocks in our house. She also wasn’t great in the money unit. She isn’t good with coins.